The present invention relates to the art of solid state lamp assemblies. It finds particular application in conjunction with Light Emitting Diodes (LED's), and will be described with particular reference thereto. It is to be appreciated, however, that the present invention is also amenable to other types of light emitting semiconductor devices.
Solid state lamp assemblies such as LEDs are typically made from a flat chip of material, such as III-V nitrides gallium arsenide, and/or phosphides and silicon carbide, suitably doped with material or designed so as to form a p-n junction which emits light when current is passed therethrough. Indeed, such devices emit light from all exposed surfaces when injected with an appropriate input current. Undesirably however, the light emitted by these devices tends to be of relatively low intensity due to scattering and/or absorption.
This inefficiency has been recognized, and effort has been directed towards solving this particular problem. Typical solutions tend to focus the light emanating from the exposed chip surfaces. Exemplary methods of implementation include angling the chip mounting area, frequently a cup, to redirect emitted light, lining the mounting area with a reflective surface, shaping the diode material itself into a lens, or adding a separate lens fixture to the LED.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved method and apparatus which helps to reduce certain of the above-referenced problems and others.